Ribbon mechanism for type-writing machines.



LIG MYERS. RIBBON MECHANISM FOR TYPE WRITING MACHINES.v

APPLIOATIONPILED APR. 7, 1913. 7

,0 5 Patented Jan. 20, 1914.-

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

WITNESSES: m/ M TOR ATTORNEY L-. 0. MYERS. RIBBON MEGHANISM POR TYPE WRITING MACHINES.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 7, 1913.

Patented J an. 20, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

" W nn CO N 55W a z? WITNESSES:

A TTOHNEY L. 0. MYERS. RIBBON MECHANISM FOR TYPE WRITING MACHINES.

flwsa esa.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 7, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Patented Jan.2(),1914.

UNITED STAT S PATENT onrron.

LEWIS C. MYERS, F BROOKLYN, NEW YQBK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE AJIGNMENTS, TO ROYAL TYPEWRITER COMPANY, INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPQRATION OF NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented aanleo, i914.

- Application filed April 7, 1913. Serial No. 759,351.

To all "whom it mag concern:

Be it known that I, Lnwrs C. MYERS, a

citizen of the United States of America, re-

siding in the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and Stateof New York, have in- I vented a certain new and useful Improved Ribbon Mechanism for Type-\Vriting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to ribbon mechanism of front strike typewriting machines.

It comprises a new organization for effectingautomatic reverse of thefeed of the ribbon.

Briefly stated, the organization comprises a pair of ribbon spools each of which carries a latch which, when the ribbon is wound upon the spool, is held up against the spool hub in imperative position. When the ribbon has been sutliciently unwound from the spQoL-the latch falls to operative position and engages a shift member: This member is preferably pivoted and is mounted so as to require for itsmovement a very slight exertion of power which is furnished by the draft of the ribbon in its ordinary step-by- .step feed. Such shift member, having been moved-to operativeposition, is acted upon by a cam device directly driv-enby the spring barrel of the machine to effect reverse adjustment of the ribbon driving'mechanism. In this improved organization there are two such shift members on .the same side of the machine each operated'by its corresponding spool latch and acted upon for the purpose stated by a single cam device.

The invention is shown as applied to ribbon mechanism such as that disclosed in the patent of Edward B. Hess, No. 859,294

granted July 9, 1907.

in the drawing: Figure'l is an elevation of the ribbon mechanism. separated from'the other organizations of the machine, viewed from the right hand side and showing the left hand ribbon spool and, in section, cer-- tain shafts that extend from the left to-the right hand side of the machine. similar view with some of the parts in front of the observer removed. 'In this view the left hand ribbon spool is seen. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing certain parts located at the right hand side of the machine and beyond them parts located at the left hand side Fig. 2 is a l and left hand spools. Fig. 6 is a detail View showing devices located at the left hand side ofthe ribbon mechanism and acting, to hold the ribbon driving mechanism in position when the ribbon being fedeither to the, right or to the left. Fig. 7 is a plan, with the'top flange removed, of the ri ht hand ribbon spool. Fig. 8 is a planfof the left hand ribbon spool. Fig. 9 is a detail view' showing devices by which the ribbon driving mechanism may beaheld in intermediate position so that the ribbon may-be freely wound in either direction by hand.

1- is a bracket appropriately; mounted upon the frame of the machine, at the rear left hand corner thereof (Fig. 1), that supports one end of a shaft 2, the other 'end of which is appropriately supported at 3 on a fixed part of the frame. On this shaft is mount-- ed an ordinary spring drum 4, the circularcovcr plate of which is formed with pe-- ripheral gear teeth 5. The bracketl has also an elongated bearing 6 for a stud shaft 7 that carries a spur gear 8 with which meshes the gear teeth of the spring drum. The forward end of the stud shaft 7 is connected'by an appropriate universal joint 9 with a ribbon driving. shaft IO'tha-t extends forward adjacent the left hand side of the machine and carries at its end a worm 11. This shaft 10 is capable of verticalmove ment at its worm end andis adapted to engage either a' worm gear 12 on the lower end of the, vertical spindle 13 of the left hand ribbon spool 14; or' a worm gear 15 on the end of the shaft. 16" that. extends fromthe left to the rightlhand side of the machine and there carries a bevel gear-l7 that meshes 14. Between the cam face 27 for shifting the worm to either of the gears 12 or 15 is a hand operated lever.

In the organization of the present invention, such shift is to be automatically effected. On each ribbon spool. there is pivoted in a lug, extending down from the lower flange of the spool, an elbow lever 20, the upper or vertical arm of which passes through a slot in the flange and is adapted to lie close against the hub 21 of the spool and is so held by the ribbon or'by the leading tape 23 to which the ribbon is attached. Applied to such elbow lever is a light spring 24 that tends to throw the lower horizontal arm 25 of the lever dovv'nuutrdly.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 2 and 4, the ribbon is assumed to have been wound off the left hand' spool to an extent suthcient to release the elbow lever or latch which, by the re-action of its spring 24, has been thrown downward, as seen in Fig.

Continued feed of the ribbon, whose attaching strip 2? (Fig. 5) partly encircles I the spool hub 21, causes further step-by-step rotation of the spool (reference being now made to the left hand spool). The end of its lower horizontally disposed arm is rounded (Fig. 4t) at 26; and, when the elbow lever is dropped to the position seen in Fig. 2, the rounded end or nose 2b assumes a position indicated by the dotted lines at 26 (Fig. 4)that is to say, opposite and adjacent a cam face 97. This cam face of a projection 28 extending horizontally from the upper end of a vertical leve 53f. pivoted immediate its ends. A. light spring 30 attached to the lever 2.) above its pivot 31 tends to hold the upper end of the arm to the left as viewed in Fig. 2 and bring a stop face 32 thereon against the ribbon mechanism supporting bracket 33. The camming action of the end 26 of elbow lever arm 25 upon the cam face 27 overcomes the reaction of spring -30 andmoves the upper end of le-- ver 29 to the right, and brings a roller 34 mounted in its lower end under a snail cam 35 fast on the worm driving shaft 10. The cam acts, as seen in Fig 2, to lift the Worm (which had been n engagement with gear engagement with the 15 on shaft 1(3) into gear 12 on the spindle 13 of the ribbon spool and the body of the supporting lever 29 is a concentric surface 27' that allows a. dwell of all parts in the position indicated in Fig. 2; and finally the end 26 of arm 25 may bearrested by a stop 28 attached to orforming part of the upper end of the lever 29. The worm 11 held up in contact with the spur 12 by the following means: Pivoted'on the fixed ribbon bracket 33 at the point 36- is a horizontally disposed arm 37 (Fig. 6) held up by a coiled spring 38. On the up per edge of the arm is a double wedge of triangular projection 40. Pivoted on a shaft the movement of the elbow 27 is part 65 (hereinafter referred to) is an elbow lever 41 the upwardly extending arm -12 of which carries on a stud bearing a roll 43 which rides over the wedge projection which therefore tends to hold tlie elbow lever 41 in the position to which it may be set either to the right or left. Stops 39 limitlever 11. In the horizontal arm of the elbow lever 41 is a hole all through which pass worm 11' and its shaft 10 in the operation of assembling the parts. When the worm shaft is lifted by the snail cam from engagement with gear 15 into engagement with gear 12 that drives the left hand spool, the elbow lever 41 is rocked to bring its roller 13 to the left of the angular projection 40 in which position it will be held by the reaction of spring 38. In this organization, the onl work in effecting reversal of the ribbon feed that is required of the ribbon spool is the movement-of the lever 29 that cooperates with the left hand spool and, as will hereinafter appear, a corresponding lever c06pcrates with the right hand spool. These levers may be mounted substantially in balance with a slight bias due to the reaction of their controlling springs, such as the spring 30, applied to the lever 29 at the left hand side of the machine, and spring 30 applied to lever 45, 48 at the right hand side of the machine. Therefore the work required of the ribbon and the spool is very slight and when the cooperating roller, as 3;, is opposite the snail cam the spring barrel is the direct source of power by means of which the worm is shifted and its detaining mechanism adjusted to hold it in shifted position.

The action .at the right hand side of the machine will now be described and this may I best be done by reference to Figs. 1, 3 and 5. The right hand ribbon spool is driven from shaft 16 that extends from the left to the right hand side of the machine and'etl'ects revolution of the ribbon spool through the miter gears 17, 18. The right hand ribbon spool has an identical elbow lever 01' latch 20 that cooperates with an upright lever 45 secured at 'its lower end to a rock shaft 46 that extends from the right to the left hand side of the machine. The lever 45 extends upvt'ard and then laterally as at48; then upwar ly as at 49; and is provided with a stop face 50 that abutsagainst the fixed bracket when the lever is in normal position. Its reaction spring above mentioned is marked 30. It also has a laterally projecting cam portion 51 in all respects the same as that 27. 27 at the left hand side of the machine. The right hand spool is equipped with an elbow lever or latch 20 the same as that already described and cooperates in the way described with the lateral, cam plate 51.

\Vhen the ribbon on the right hand spool i squared end Slot its spindle so that it may .heiul 5b of which and the flattened face of has been sufficiently unwound to permit its elbow lever 20 to be thrown down by its spring, the upper end 49 of the lever 1s cannned to the right, as viewed in Fig. 3, in

a similar. way to that already described in connection with the left hand spool.

The lever 45, 4-8, 49 is fast on the rock. shaft 46 which is mounted in" appropriate bearing in the ribbon brackets and extends to the left hand side of the machine where it has fixed thereto an upwardly extending arm 52 (Fig. 1) to the upper end of which is pivoted a link 53 the other end of which pivoted to the end of a short uprlght lever '54 pivoted at intermediate its ends and carrying at. its ,lower end a roller 56.' Both the levers or arms 54 and 29 may be pivoted upon the same bearing arm 57 attached to or forming part of the left hand side 57 of the frame of the machine (Fig. lvhen therefore the lever 45, 48, 49 is moved by the can'm'iirig action of the elbow lever 20 at the right hand of the machine, this movement is translated through the rock shaft 46, the arm 52 thereof at the right hand side of the machine, and the link 53 to the lever arm 54:; and by such movement the roller 56 at the lower end of the latter lever is moved opposite but above the snail cam 35. Thiscam acting upon roller '56, moves the worm shaft 10 downwardly out of engagement with gear 12 and into engagement with gear 15 fixed on shaft 16 which extends from the left to the right hand side of the machine; and, as before stated, drives the spindle of the right hand spool throutglrthe miteiggear 17, 18. At thesamo time the elbow lever 4.1 (l ig. 6) is moved by stress of the shaft 10 to trans fer the roller 1? .1 the end of its upper arm to the lett hand side of the wedge projection on positioning lever 57. The right hand ribbon spool is now rotated and draws the ribbon from the left hand spool.

Not only is the work of shifting the ribbon mechanism to effect a reverse feed of the ribbon performed entirely by the spring driim but the shifting of the ribbon mechanism forfeeding the ribbon in either direction is el'i'erted by a single cam located-upon the. ribbon driving shaft 10. The left hand ribbon spool is shown as titling over the readily-"lie ren'ioved. The right hand ribbon spool, however, is indicated as attached to its spindle ill by a set screw 58, between the the spool hub is placed a spring washer (30 (Fig. '7).

To prevent rotation of the ribbon driving shaft 10 when the. carriage is returned to initial printing position, there is fixed on the shaft a ratchet wheel 61 with which engages a detent 1* awl-l'il pivoted on elbow lever 42 and pressed into engagement with the ratchet wheel by a spring 631; This arrangel ment permits the shaft/10 to progressively rotate step-b y-step-as the carriage 1s moving step-by-step in printing direction.

The shaft Fi 6) on which is rigidly secured the el ow lever 41 is a rock shaft as which extends toward the front of the machine and is turned upwardly as at 66 and then turned again to the front, as at 07, to project through the front plate 68 of the machine and is formed with a knob 69 that, is conveniently accessible to the opena't'br. By manipulation of shaft roll 43 may be held at the top of the wedge-projection 40, so that the worm 11 will be held intermediate the two gears 12 and 15, when the ribbon may be freely run in either direction by hand rotation. of the spools. Since however, it might be somewhat diflicult to hold the roller 43 in just the right direction, there is pivoted on the back of the front frame plate of the machine an angular plate which is really an elbow lever 70 pivoted at 71. It's upper end is provided with a knob or handle, 72 that projects through a laterally elongated opening 73 in the front plate. Its other horizontally disposed arm 74 is formed with a t -recess 75 andis'nortr ally drawn upwardby a coiled reaction spring 76. Vhon the handle 72 is thrown to the left, as viewedin Fig. S), the V-recess to acting upon the part (li of shaft 5 will hold it in central posilion so that by'mere pressure to the left on the knob 72, the roller 43 (Fig. 6) will be he d in central position opposite the apex of .=fection 4.0 on lever 37 and the ribbon may be :rieely run in either direction by the operators manipulation of the spools.

cam in Should either shift member 551; or 29 (or its anti-friction roller) in moving to operative position. opposite the snail cam collide with the side of the cam, there will always be enough slack or stretch of the' ribbon to permit rotation of the cam. until the arm (or its roller) can move into position under the shoulder 64: formed by the high part of the cam. The circular faces 26 of the cam projections 51 on armti 29, 45, allows a dwell that permits the ribbonspools to turn until, the arm 29 or 54 is in operative .position. The rise of the snail cam is very gradual and its period of operation of such length *thatslight power is required from the spring barrel and abrupt strains are avoided:

I claim:

1. In a type writing machine, the combination of two ribbon spools located at .opposite sides of the machine and from one to the other of which the ribbon is wound, a

latch on each spool normally held in inoperative position by the eonvolutions wound on the spool and adapted to'move to operative position when released by the unwinding of the ribbon, a drive shaft havlatch on each spool normally held in in-v operative position by the convolutions wound on the spool and adapted to move to operative position when released by the unwinding of the ribbon, a drive shaft having means for driving either spool and also at one side of the machine a cam for reversing the direction in which the ribbon is wound, and two shift members one for each spool located at the latter side of the machine cooperating with said reversing cam on the drive shaft and actuated by the latches of their correspondingspools when said latches are in operative position.

In a typewriting machine, the combination of two ribbon spools located at opposite sides of the machine and from one to the other of which the ribbonis wound,

a latch on each spool normally held in in operative position by the convolutions wound on the spool and adapted to move to operative position when released by the un'winding of the ribbon, a drive. shaft having means for driving either spool and also at one side of the machine a snail cam for reversing the direction in which the ribbon is wound and two shift members one for each spool arranged respectively on opposite sides of the snail cam cooperating therewith and actuated. by the latches of their corresponding spools when said latches are in operative position.

4. In a tvpewriting machine, the combination of two ribbon spools located at opposite sides of the macl'iine and from one to the other of which the ribbon is wound, a latch on each spool normaltv held in inoperative position by the convolutions wound on the spool and adapted to move to operative position when released by the unwinding of the ribbon, a driving spindle for each spool, a gear on each spindle. a driving shaft carrying a gear adapted to be brougl'it into position to drive the gear on one spool spindle, an operative connection for driving the gear on the otht spool, spindle, with which connection said driving shaft ear is also adapted to be brought into driving connec tion, a cam on the shaft located at. one side of the machine, a pivoted shift membe at the same side of the machine cooperating with the cam and operated by the spool latch on that side of the machine, a second shift member pivoted on the same side of the machine, a pivoted arm operated by a spool latch on the other side of the machine and anoperative connection between said pivoted arm and said second shift member.

5. In a typewriting machine,-the combination of two ribbon spools located at opposite sides of the machine and from one to the other of which the ribbon is wound, a latch on each spool normally held in inoperative position by the convolutions wound on the spool and adapted to move to operative position when released by the unwinding of the ribbon, a driving spindle for each spool, a gear on each spindle, a longitudinally arranged swinging drive shaft carrying a gear adapted to be brought into position to drive the gear on one spool spindle, an operative connection for driving the gear on the other spool spindle, with which connection said driving shaft gear is also adapted to be brought into driving connection, a cam on the shaft located at one side of the machine, a pivoted shift member cooperating with the cam located on the same side of the machine and operated by the spool latch on that side of the machine, a second shift member pivoted on the same side of the malatch on the other side of the machine and an operative connection between said pivoted arm and said second shift member.

(3. In a typewriting machine, the combination of two ribbon spools located at opposite sides of the machine and from one to the other of which the ribbon is wound, a

crativ'e position. by the convolutions wound on the spool and adaptetd to move to operaing of the ribbon, a drive shaft having means for driving e'thcr spool and also at one side of the machine means for reversing the direction in which the ribbon. is wound. two shift members one for each spool located at the latter side of the machine cooperating with aid rcmrsing means on the drive shaft and actuated by the latches of their corresponding spools when said latches are in operative position and means for automatically holding either spool in driving engagement with the drive shaft.-

7. In a ty'pcwriting machine, the combination of two rilibon spoolslocated at opposite sides of the machine and from one to the other of which the ribbon is wound, a latch on each spool normally held in inoperative position by the convolutions wound on the spool and adapted to move to opcrative position when released by the'unwinding of the ribbon, a drive shaft having means for driving either spool and also at one side of the machine a cam for reversing l the direction in which the ribbon is Wound,

chine, a pivoted arm operated by the spool.

tive position when released by the unwind-' latch on each spool normally held in inopthe other of which the ribbon is wound, a

latch on each spool normally held in inoperative position by the convolutions wound on the spool and adapted to move to operative position when released by the unwindlng of the ribbon, a drive shaft having means for driving either spool and also at one side of the machine a snail cam for reversing the direction lILWl'llCll the ribbon is wound, twoshift members one for each spool arranged respectively on opposite sides of the snail cam cooperating therewith and actuated by the latches of their corresponding spools when said latches arein operative position, and means for automatically holding either spool in driving engagement with the drive shaft.

9. In a typewriting machine, the combination of two ribbon spools located at opposite sides of the machine and from one to the other of whichthe ribbon is wound, a latch on each spool normally held in inoperative position by the convolutions wound on the spool and adapted to move to operative position when released by the unwinding of the ribbon, a driving spindle for each spool, a gear on each spindle, a driving shaft carrying a gear adapted, to be brought into position to drive the gear on one spool spindle, an operative connection for driving the gear on the other spool spindle, with which connection said driving shaft gear is also adapted to be brought into driving connection, a cam on the shaft located at one side of the machine, a pivoted shift member at, the same side of the machine cooperating with the cam and operated by the spool latch on that side of the machine, a second shift member pivoted on the same side of the machine, a pivoted arm operated by a spool latch on the other side of the machine,

in operative connection between said pivoted arm and said second shift member, and means for automatically holding either spool in driving engagement with the drive shaft.

10. In a typewriting machine, the combination of two ribbon spools located at opposite sides of the machine and from one to the other of which the ribbon is wound, a latch on each spool normally held in inoperative position by the convolutions wound on the spool andadapted to move to operative position when released by the unwinding of the ribbon, a driving spindle for-each spool, a gear on each spindle, a longitudinally arranged swinging drive shaft carrying a gear adapted to be brought into position to drive the gear on one spool spindle, an operative connection for driving the gear on the other spool spindle, Witlr which connection said driving shaft gear is also adapted to be brought into drivinglconnection, a cam on the shaft located atone side of the machine, a pivoted shift member cooperating with the cam located on the same side of the machine and operated by the spool latch on that side of the machine, a second shift member pivoted on the same side of the machine, a. pivoted armoperated by the spool latch on the other side of the machine, inoperative connection betiVeen said .pivoted arm and said second shift member and, means for'automatically holding either spool in driving engagement with theydrive shaft. I

11, In a typewriting machine, the combination 'of two ribbon spools on opposite sides of the machine each provided with a driving spindle, a drive shaft common to both spools, a snail cam on' the drive shaft and twoiautomatically operated shift 'members cotiperating with the snail cam toefiect reverse of the ribbon feed.

12. In a typewriting machine, the combination of two ribbon spools on opposite sides of themachine each provided with a driving spindle, a drive shaft common to both spools and adapted to be automatically moved transversely of its length into position to drive the spindle of either spool, a lever having an aperture through which the vdrive shaft passes whereby the lever is rocked as the drive shaft is moved into driving position with respect to either spool and means acting upon the lever to maintain such driving engagement with either spool.v

13. The combination with two ribbon Spools each having a driving spindle with a driving gear, a swinging drive shaft adapted to be moved transversely of its length into position to drive either spindle, means automatically controlled by the ribbon on the spools for automatically effecting rcversal of the direction of travel of the ribhon from one spool to the other, hand operated means; for holding the drive shaft in intermediate position out of driving connection with either spindle and having means acting automatically when said hand operated means. is released to return the drive shaft to driving connection with one or the other of said spindles/'1;

14-. In a typewriting machine, the combination with two ribbon spools, adapted to be driven alternately, spool driving means and operative connections between said d i i means and therespective spoolsfof a snail cam driven by said driving means,

members adapted to alternately cooperate with said cam to effect reversals of ribbon wind and means whereby said shift members are automatically operated.

16. In a typewriting machine, the combination with two ribbon spools adapted to be driven alternately, spool driving means and operative connections between said driving means and the respective spools, of a cam driven by said driving means, two shift members adapted to alternately cooperate with said cam to effect-reversals of ribbon wind and means controlled by the ribbon for effecting automatic operation of said shift members.

17. In a t-ypcwriting machine, the combination with two ribbon spools adapted to be driven alternately, spool driving means and operative connections between said driving means and the respective spools, of a cam driven by said driving means, two shi tt ,members both located upon the same side of the machine and. adapted to alternately oooperate with said cam to effect reversals of ribbon wind and means whereby said shift members are automatically operated.

18. In a typewriting machine, the combi nation with two ribbon spools adapted to be driven alternately, spool driving means and operative connections between said driving means and the respective spools, of a cam driven by said driving means, two shift members both located on the same side of the machine and carrying rolls adapted to alter nately cooperate with said cam to effect reversals of ribbon wind and means whereby said shift members are automatically operated. v

19. In a typewriting machine, the combination with two ribbon spools adapted to be driven alternately, a spool drive shaftand operative connections between it and the respective spools, of two shift members respectively adapted to effect reversal of ribbon wind and located on one side of the machine,cam means located on the same side of the machine driven by said drive shaft and adapted to cooperate with said shift members and means whereby said cam means'and the respective shift members are alternately automatically brought into cooperative-re lation.

20. In a typewriting machine, the combination with two ribbon spools adapted to be driven alternately, a spool drive shaft and operative connections between it and the respective spools, of two shift members located on the same side of the machine and respectively adapted to effect reversal of ribbon wind, cam means driven by said drive shaft and adapted to cooperate with 's-aid shift members and means whereby said cam means and the respective shift members are alternately automaticall brought into cooperative relation.

21. In a typewriting machine, the combination of two ribbon spools on opposite sides of the machine each provided with a driving spindle, a drive shaft common to both spools, a single cam on the drive shaft and two automatically operated shift members cooperating with the said cam to effect reversal of the ribbon teed.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

LEWIS G. MYERS.

Witnesses E. B. Hess, Gsoaor. I IIA'NDLEY. 

